Zamfara: Bandits attack construction workers, gun down soldiers

Bandits have attacked construction workers along Funtua-Gusau highway in Zamfara State, killing seven people, including three soldiers, escorting foreign engineers.

The incident occurred at Yandoton-Tsafe, Tsafe local government area of Zamfara state, around 9am, on Thursday.

This is the second attack carried out by bandits along the road within hours, Daily Trust, learnt.

The first occurred in Kucheri village also in Tsafe local government when a gang of armed bandits blocked the busy Funtua-Gusau highway and abducted scores of travellrs.

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Some locals told Daily Trust that the two separate operations which went simultaneously around 9am were believed to be carried by a notorious bandits’ leader, Dan Yusuf, younger brother to the famous kingpin, Ado Alliero.

A resident of Kucheri, Yunusa Isa (not real name) said the bandits arrived at the area on motorbikes for the operation, saying, “they kept their motorbikes inside bush not far from the scene of the incident and ambushed some oncoming vehicles at a damaged portion of the road few meters away from Kucheri village.

“Drivers have to always slow down anytime they arrive at this portion of the road because of its situation. So, the bandits took advantage of this to strike. They attacked the vehicles and abducted unspecified number of passengers today.”

Also, a resident of Tsafe, Ibrahim Umar, said the second attack was launched on some construction workers at Yandoton Tsafe, killing about seven people including three military escorts.

He said the bandits invaded the construction sites on motorbikes and opened fire on the innocent workers.

“The soldiers protecting the workers repelled the attack, but about seven people including the soldiers were said to have been killed during the encounter. It was also said that a foreign engineer was abducted by the bandits during the attack.”

Funtua-Gusau highway has become a death trap to many travelers and other road users.

The portion of the road of about 50 kilometers between Funtua and Tsafe is tagged as Israel by drivers flying the road.

The Israel as many commercial drivers fondly called it covers villages and towns in the two local governments.

The villages are Sheme, Kanfanin Mai-Lafiya, Unguwar Boka, Yankara in Katsina state and Danwuri, Wanzamai, Kucheri, Unguwar-Chida, Magazu, Gidan-Giye,Tsafe in Zamfara state.

Findings revealed that bandits have been unleashing terror on residents of villages and towns within the vicinity of ‘Israel’ with Kamfanin-Mailafiya, Yankara, Magazu, Wanzamai and Kucheri as worst hit among the villages.

Although additional military check-points were erected precisely between Kamfanin-Mailafiya and Tsafe, yet, bandits are still carrying out their heinous activities virtually on a daily basis.